Neighborhood Spotlight: Barton Hills

Barton Hills is the epitome of Austin living. With it’s abundance of outdoor spaces and access to live music, Barton Hills has a lot to offer residents of all ages and demographics. Festival-goers will love that the neighborhood borders the famous Austin City Limits Festival venue. Families will love the access to some of the best schools in the Austin school district. Everyone, however, will love the beautiful, hilly terrain.

Barton Hills is named after Williams Barton, who was one of the first to settle Austin, Texas in the 1800s. Houses in Barton Hills come in a large number of shapes, colors and sizes. Specific to the area is the unique feel of each street, due to the hilly nature of the terrain in the neighborhood.

Referred to as Austin’s most nature-friendly neighborhood, Barton Hills features lush parks, pools and botanic gardens. Bordered by Zilker Park and the Colorado River to the north and Barton Creek Greenbelt on the south, Barton Hills offers buyers homes with mature trees and lush greenery. Additionally, the community lies just outside of Downtown Austin and offers easy access to numerous cafes for laid-back music options.

It’s also a close walk to the Barton Springs Pool, which is the fourth largest natural spring in Texas and provides all of Austin a cool place for a swim. The 358 acre Zilker Park is also a short walk away. Restaurants in the area include Austin Java, Romeos, Flipnotics, Green Mesquite, and the original Tex-Mex Chuys.

Educational institutions in the community include O. Henry Middle School, Austin High School, and Barton Hills Elementary. There are other private institutions in addition to the excellent public schools the area offers. Outside of great educational options, the Barton Hills neighborhood also has excellent food and shopping nearby. It lies between the acclaimed restaurants and shops of South Lamar Boulevard and Barton Springs Road.

Most single-family homes in Barton Hills range from $340,000 up to $1,200,000. Also, there are condominiums in the area priced from around $160,000 to over $1,000,000. Many of the homes were built in the 1970s and 1980s. Older homes in Barton Hills date back to the 1940s. Many homes sit along the Barton Greenbelt, which wraps around the western edge of Barton Hills.